


Floating White Lotus

by A_Marlene_S



Series: White Lotus [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Book 1: Water (Avatar), Gen, POV Zuko (Avatar), Tea Shop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-03-20 01:45:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18982678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Marlene_S/pseuds/A_Marlene_S
Summary: Book One: WaterFloating White Lotus, a former fire nation ship that was converted into a traveling tea shop. The shop is led by the rumored the Dragon of the West, (No knows if this is true or not… yet) and his nephew who wishes to forget the ever lasting war. Well, until a certain someone decided he’d be the perfect fire bending instructor.Au inspired by captainkirkk from tumblr for the creation of the Tea Boat Zuko.(D/C: I own nothing.)





	1. Jasmine Tea

D/C: I own nothing.

Shout-out to ProudGeek4Ever! Thank you so much for beta reading the Floating White Lotus!

* * *

**_Chamomile_ **

_Used for healing wounds, reducing inflammations and/or swelling. Could either be used as tea or applied as a compress. A drawback is that it could cause drowsiness and may interfere with other medications._

**_Ginger_ **

_Used to ease nausea and motions sickness. Could be used to relieve nausea caused by pregnancy. A drawback is that possible side effects could include bloating, gas, heartburn and nausea._

**_Ginseng_ **

_It is used as a tonic and cu-_

"Zuko! We are almost at the Southern Water Tribe. Could you recheck the shipment we have for them?"

"I'll get right to it, Uncle!" Zuko responded. He looked down at the leather-bound notebook his uncle had given to him. It contained detailed descriptions of flowers and several other things that had to do with tea and herbalism. He had started to keep track of all the items necessary to make tea and remedies. This book had saved him more times than he could count and he was forever grateful for Uncle Iroh for helping him.

Even if it meant the man went into exile with him.

He shook his head and rose from his spot on top of the deck. Then he headed towards the location where he knew they kept the shipment for the tribe. One of the other men could do this job, but it helped ease his mind. Right as he was about to enter the cargo hold, a bright flash of light shot up into the sky. It lasted several seconds, more than enough time for everyone that was on the deck to see what he was looking at.

In back of his mind, he wondered what that light was. He had never seen anything like it. He'd never even heard any sort of bending that could cause such an event. Eh, Zuko shrugged his shoulders and continued with his task. It was not his problem.

So not his problem.

Zuko continued on his way and as he did so he walked through the main hall of the ship. The lighting was changed to make it more welcoming and not so… intimidating. Plus, there were paintings, plants, and tapestries that made the former Fire Nation naval ship more welcoming. Zuko couldn't help but snort. Welcoming. He nodded at any of the former soldiers that walked passed him on his way to his destination.

Zuko paused when he stopped in front of a tapestry. It was the first one that was ever hung on the ship after the change. The change from using this ship to hunt down the avatar to using it as a travelling teashop. Hunting down the Avatar… What a fool's game. His father just wanted him out of his hair after he started to show his true colors.

Mainly showing how Fire Lord Ozai would easily sacrifice soldiers for nothing. How he could easily kill off innocent lives just to  _prove_ a point. The banishment was a massive blessing in disguise. Zuko wanted nothing to do with his father, the Fire Nation and let alone this war. A stupid war at that.

-.-

Zuko took in a deep breath and stared down at his reflection in a giant basin of water. His hair easily fell over his shoulders. He had it cut that way to hide his distinguishable scar. He was wearing clothing that was typical for the Earth Kingdom, but for a far colder climate. Despite having already been to Southern Water Tribe multiple times, he couldn't help the uneasiness that washed over him. As far as the village knew of he, Uncle and the crew were all were running away from their homeland and had created the Floating White Lotus to get a new start. Which was a former Fire Nation naval ship before it got converted into said teashop.

Nothing out of the norm. Nothing out of the norm at all.

"Zuko, we have arrived. Please, try to make yourself presentable… and make some friends your own age."

Zuko's head sagged down. "Yes, Uncle."

Oh, Uncle Iroh. The closet thing Zuko ever got to a father figure. To think the man put himself into exile for his sake… and sanity. Either way, Zuko was grateful for Uncle. Except when Uncle would mention that, he needed to connect with others that are his age or reprimanding him for ruining tea.

He walked into his room on the ship. It was filled with paintings, plants and tapestries. Just like the rest of the ship. Everything was unrelated to the Fire Nation. Zuko quickly changed his clothing to something that suited for his work as a server. When he opened the dresser, the exiled Fire Prince saw his Fire Nation uniform. It was just in arm's reach if he ever needed to wear it. Like whenever they came across a Fire Nation ship. Those times were always the worse.

Dressed in several hues of green, yellow and brown, Zuko walked out of his room and headed up. Along the way, he saw the others quickly putting on their respected uniforms or preparing for their arrival by making tea or any other necessary items. By the time Zuko arrived at the deck, was now the entire place was now had tables, chairs and canopies on said tables. Surrounding it all, were portable fire pits to provide much needed heat.

Slowly but surely, the occupants of the Southern Water Tribe began to trickle in. Uncle welcomed all of them onto the ship and then he and the crew showed the patrones to their tables. Laughter could be heard all over. Children were running around and they kept trying to get Zuko to play with them.

Zuko looked around the ship hoping to see two people. His shoulders sagged when he realized that they were not there. He felt someone tug on his apron and saw that it was Gran-Gran. The old woman gave him a smile as she spoke to him. "They went off earlier in the day. You should surprise them!"

Zuko looked for Uncle and saw the man giving an encouraging smile. He took that as approval. Without much else, he gave the tray of goodies to one of the former soldiers before running off. He had a good idea where they were. He moved quickly with his snowboard and pole that the locals had made especially for him.

-.-

"Uh…." Zuko stared at the supposed avatar. He wondered if this was his mind playing tricks with him. He wasn't able to hear as his friends, Katara and Sokka, attempted to explain how they found the Air Nomad in a glacier and don't forget the flying bison. Oh, Spirits… "No… no. Just…. No… I'm dreaming. No, this is a nightmare!"

Aang, Katara and Sokka watched as Zuko hopped back on his snowboard and headed back to his ship. Aang worriedly watched him leave. The airbender believed he had somehow offended the tea maker. He did a double take when Sokka wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to say something in his ear.

"Don't worry about Zuko. He's weird... Even for a firebender."

TBC.


	2. Peppermint Tea

_**D/C: I Own Nothing.** _

Shout-out to ProudGeek4Ever! Thank you so much for beta reading the Floating White Lotus!

* * *

**_Peppermint Tea_ **

_It could be used to relieve headaches and pains, soothe an upset stomach and strengthen the immune system. It reduces stress, anxiety and bad breath. Do not drink if pregnant or taking certain types of medication._

**_Sage Tea_ **

_Excellent as muscle relaxer and helps with mental exhaustion and body ache. Helps detoxify the body, relieve anxiety, improve digestion and acts as antioxidants. Do not drink more than three to six cups as it could toxify the body._

Zuko attempted to ignore Sokka. The Water Tribe boy thought it was a good idea to cling onto him as he attempted to heat up Gran-Gran's tea. He gave the woman a strained smile as he resisted the urge to throw the younger teen over the ship. The urge was there. He just had far too much respect for the woman to do so against her grandson.

After sliding away from the others earlier they followed him back. On a flying bison. Zuko simply boarded the ship and got back to serving tea and some goodies. Who knew former soldiers could make so good mochi, tarts, cakes and similar things? However, he just wanted to get back to reality and pretend that he didn't just meet the Avatar.

The same avatar he was supposed to be hunting down.

Something those three talked about while riding the bison prompted Sokka to literally beg Zuko to teach Aang firebending.

His refusal lead to Sokka chasing him around the ship while begging him to join some wild turtleduck chase. He yelled at the younger boy to move out of the way. That did not mean he wanted Sokka to jump on his back, wrap his arms around his neck and start whining, but something obviously got lost in translation.

Zuko thought he should have seen this coming. He paused momentarily to allow Sokka time to readjust himself before they both continued on.

Katara and Aang were sitting next to Gran-Gran. The Avatar kept staring at the firebender with slight apprehension. Katara had told him a bit about the Fire Nation, the war and the Southern Raiders. He didn't understand how the village could be so welcoming to at least one firebender if everything she told him was true.

"Zuko saved us from pirates once," Gran-Gran began with a wistful gaze.

Aang leaned in with his steaming cup of tea in his hand and gave all his attention to his new friends' grandmother. "He did?"

_Flashback~_

_Kanna pushed both her grandchildren behind her. They watched in horror as her husband fell and the snow beneath him turned red._

_Pirates had invaded. The already dilapidated village were in such a state of despair because of the Fire Nation and now they had to deal with pirates too. All of them were just taking what they wanted and destroyed the rest._

_Kanna told Katara and Sokka to run. If this was the way she was going to die, so be it. As long as her grandchildren were safe she could die without regrets. She closed her eyes and waited for death to take her._

_Then fire started to fill the area and a roar of anger could be heard. Kanna saw a young man take down the pirates by using both firebending and two swords. The teenager was dressed in Earth Kingdom clothing, but it was quite clear that he hailed from the Fire Nation. The firebending was a real giveaway._

_The pirates that hadn't been taken down retreated back to their ship. It was clear they didn't expect anyone to go up against them. The teen was ready to follow the pirates that had fled._

_She didn't know why she did what she did, but she knew there had been enough death for that day. "Please, not in front of the children."_

_The firebender fell down to his knees. Kanna could see his shoulders shake and heard the sound of soft sobs. He was apologising profusely. The teen was nearly hysterical._

_"What brings you here, young man?"_

_After some prodding, Kanna was given a scroll with very familiar handwriting._

_End of Flashback~_

"It was some time later that the Floating White Lotus arrived. The sight of a Fire Nation ship caused us a bit of blind panic. Zuko's uncle, Iroh, explained the advantages of hiding in plain sight." Gran-Gran laughed at the memory. "Although before the ship arrived there was a fire seen from that direction of the ocean."

"Nothing you can prove, Gran-Gran!"

Gran-Gran ignored Zuko as she continued the storytelling. "They brought us much needed supplies and told us they were simply a travelling tea shop that wished to avoid the war and the Fire Nation."

"Is he a good firebender…?"

"Yes, in terms of morality. As for bending, he's good, but he co-" Jee, the captain of the ship, began to answer, but was distracted by Zuko. Everyone watched as Zuko walked back into the ship with Sokka still clinging onto him. Moments later Sokka ran out with a clay pot while screaming about meat.

-.-

"Would you please consider teaching me fire bending?"

This time it was Aang clinging onto Zuko who was still trying to do his job and serve tea. At least the Avatar wasn't screaming in his ear like a certain someone did.

"No. Now get off. I have to go below deck and get more supplies." Zuko attempted to pull Aang off of himself, but to no avail. It did not help when Uncle suggested that Aang could go with him. His shoulders sagged as he went to get the supplies.

"Gran-Gran mentioned that you prefer twin swords to your firebending." Aang tried starting a conversation. He had gotten of Zuko's back to walk beside him.

Zuko kept his eyes looking forward as he thought about his answer. He only paused for a moment to look at the tapestry Gran-Gran had given to them. It held the insignia of the Southern Water Tribe. It had been her way to show them that they were always welcome to the South Pole. "My old master once said that it would be better for me to learn other forms of fighting. He told me I lacked the self control, precision and patience needed to get good at firebending."

"What happened to your old master?"

"He became a hermit."

Zuko said it in such a way that it made Aang laugh. There wasn't even a hint of bitterness or resentment in Zuko's voice. If anything he sounded content. "But you know how to firebend, right?"

The banished prince rolled his eyes. Of course the kid had ulterior motives to his question. "I do, but I want nothing to do with the war. That includes teaching the Avatar firebending. Especially one that hasn't learnt water- and earthbending yet."

-.-

Later that night.

Zuko and Iroh were in Gran-Gran's tent with said woman, her grandchildren, and Aang. They were enjoying a nice bowl of sea prunes. Well, except for Aang, who is turning a very ugly shade of green.

"We escaped the Fire Nation about three years ago." Iroh was explaining to Aang. The Avatar still hadn't gotten over his first taste of sea prunes. "My nephew disagreed with the war and wanted to avoid being recruited into it. He wanted to follow the path of an herbalist instead."

"Why tea?"

"It has healing properties and the herbs are used has many other uses as they are." Zuko's answer was automatic and without hesitation. "That and Uncle loves tea."

Iroh gave his nephew a proud smile and nodded at his words

There was more talk about the war after that. Aang seemed to shrink into himself more and more. Guilt for running away and being unavailable to stop it all. So many lives had been lost and the world wasn't in balance anymore. A nudge snapped the monk from his thoughts. He looked up to see Zuko holding out a cup of tea for him.

"Drink. It helps with mental exhaustion and relaxes muscles. Spirits knows, you need it," Zuko muttered the last part to himself.

"Zuko, why won't you consider teaching Aang?"

This time it was Katara that had asked the question.

Iroh answered before Zuko could even open his mouth. "Perhaps in the future, but right now my dear nephew is at an important crossroads of his life. He still needs to find his own meaning before he could take on a student."

"That... sounds reasonable." Sokka nodded as he poured water into a clay pot and handed it to Zuko. The firebender used his right palm to heat up the water before putting it in a pouch that contained some herbs. "Thinking about his first reaction to seeing Aang we should probably give him some time to process things. That and if people found out we were travelling with a firebender it could hurt us in the long run."

Pause.

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "What?" He was met with gobsmacked looks from all directions. "I can think things through you know!"

Zuko facepalmed."You were like an octopus on my back and yelled in my good ear all day while begging me to teach him."

"You are not ready and if you're not ready you'll be a crappy teacher." Sokka summed.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"That's Captain Boomerang to you!"

"Hm? Did you say something, Captain Obvious?"

-.-

The crew packed everything up and were ready to sail off. They had done what they came to do and Zuko needed some distance from the Avatar. Said former Fire Prince and now herbalist in training wanted to avoid the whole "train the Avatar" theme and continue being blissfully ignorant to the war that was happening.

"Maybe we'll see each other again during our travels, Sifu Zuko!" Aang was was waving them off with the rest of the tribe.

Everyone could see Zuko slap his forehead at the title. He then leaned over the railing to yell out. "I never agreed to anything!"

"Whatever you say,  _Sifu_ Zuko!"

"Shut up, Sokka!"

TBC.

R/R.


	3. Ginseng Tea

**_Ginseng Tea_ **

_It could be used to reduce inflammations, boost the immune system, fight tiredness and increase energy levels. Not for children , pregnant women or women that are breastfeeding._

Katara and Sokka glanced at each other as Aang talked about the Southern Air Temple. He still had hope that there could be survivors at any of the Air Temples. The siblings both had the same general thought. One hundred years had past since the annihilation of the Air Nomads and no one had seen any since then. Until Aang that is.

-.-

He was dressed in his Fire Nation uniform, sipping badly brewed tea and ignoring the newly promoted Commander Zhao. Ugh, the guy just didn't stop trying to get under his skin. It had reached the point where it was plain sad. He wished Uncle hadn't accepted Zhao's invitation for tea.

Zuko put a stop to his inner monologue. Zhao was outlining the Fire Nation's plan for conquering the Earth Kingdom. It couldn't have been thought through. Only a fool would believe that the Earth Kingdom would fall so quickly to that supposed plan. The only way the Fire Nation would even have a tiny chance at succeeding would be if Uncle helped them. He'd already seen Ba Sing Se. Iroh had told him once that he already knew possible strategies for conquering the city even with the added security.

"Tell me  _Prince_  Zuko. How is your search for the Avatar going?"

Zuko allowed a bit of his old self to resurface. Fake bitterness and impatience clear in his voice with just a tint of haughtiness. "Unfruitful." He hated himself for stooping so low.

Then one of Zhao's men walked in to deliver a newly received message. It was about a flying bison.

-.-

Lieutenant Jee kept a close eye on Zhao's men. They were quite clearly trying to extract information from them. It was unlucky for them that the crew of the Floating White Lotus was extremely loyal to Iroh and Zuko. It did worry him though when one of the soldiers found a crate filled with tea sets.

This could very well ruin everything. Jee remained calm and acted like he wasn't eavesdropping. If they suspected anything out of the norm he would-

"Remember that The Dragon of The West is an avid tea drinker. I wouldn't be surprised if Prince Zuko destroys dishes for, spirits know what, reason."

Jee felt himself relax ad he heard his crew mutter about the Prince's temper. He could even hear the cock go onto a one sided rant about Zuko's tendency to destroy anything and everything when he got angry. Say what you want, but they sure knew how to act.

"Sir!"

He turned around and saw one of his men running towards him. It was the one that had been tasked with shadowing Iroh and Zuko. The man was breathing heavily, but still managed to croak out some very surprising news. "Prince Zuko challenged Commander Zhao to an Agni Kai at sunset."

"Oh…WHAT!"

-.-

Zuko didn't care for much since his banishment. For a time the only thing he could feel was anger towards himself, his father and his sister. The only one he hadn't felt any anger towards was Iroh. Uncle took him under his wing when he got banished. It was thanks to his uncle's guidance that Zuko changed to the person he was today.

Zuko had seen red when Zhao began saying unsavory things to the man. Consequences be damned. Iroh reminded him of his last Agni Kai as he got ready to fight.

He only paused for a second as he remembered that duel.

_Flashback~_

_Zuko breathed heavily and glared at his father as he fought against him. He knew he did wrong to question the man's plans, but it had been necessary. That so called plan was based on sending an entire division on a suicide mission. It showed no respect to the soldiers and used them as nothing other than replaceable pawns._

_It was for them that Zuko wasn't giving Ozai the satisfaction of watching him beg. That would mean regretting speaking up for all those men that would more than likely still die once he got killed by his own father._

_Zuko wished he was born in a different family in another nation. But he held no regrets whatsoever as unconsciousness took him._

_End of Flashback~_

Zuko took a deep breath and got into a stance as he and Zhao prepared to fight. They waited for the gong to signal the start of the Agni Kai.

Zhao was one of the many people that saw him as nothing more than a bitter, impatient and weak boy who the Fire Lord should have killed three years ago. So when the fight began Zhao underestimated his opponent. Iroh had managed to teach him a thing or two.

It was too bad for Zhao that by the time he'd made sense of what was happening Zuko already had him on the ground. The teen was standing over him with both hands covered in flames. "Do it. Kill me."

"I wouldn't tempt me." Zuko allowed the flames to die out. "Never speak ill of my uncle in my presence again. Next time I won't be as nice."

It was clear who the winner was.

Zuko turned away and walked back to Iroh. Zhao could see the old general smile and give the boy a pat on the back. Then he heard him congratulate the Prince for holding back. HOLDING BACK!

"Let's celebrate this over a cup of tea, Prince Zuko." Iroh congratulated his nephew once more. He looked back to see Zhao gruffly get back up. Iroh gave the defeated Commander one of his well known smiles. A smile with a hidden warning. One that Commander Zhao definitely saw as he quickly left.

-.-

"Where to next?"

"Kyoshi Island. We are set to deliver supplies there."

"You heard the kid. Set sail for Kyoshi Island."

TBC.


	4. Dandelion Root Tea

 

**_Dandelion Root Tea_ **

_It improves digestion and aids weight gain. Purifies bladder and kidneys. Reduces risk of urinary infections, purifies blood and improves blood circulation. Eases bloating and aching joints. Helps cure skin conditions. Warning! Can cause allergic reactions when taken by mouth or applied to the skin.  Ragweed Allergy._

"There has been multiple sightings of Aang and the others from all kinds of places, but no one has an exact location on their current whereabouts." Iroh explained as they packed their supplies onto four Komodo Rhinos. They would make it a lot easier to get to their next location. He took out a map and showed Zuko where they'd been seen.

Zuko frowned. It was easy to tell where they'd been, but it was impossible to say where they were heading. Either Aang severely lacked navigational skills or he was a master at evasive maneuvering. He couldn't care less what they were doing as long as they were out of his sight. "Here's to hoping we don't run into them anytime soon."

-.-

"Tell them, Zuko! We aren't spies!"

Zuko resisted the urge to slam his head against the metal serving tray he was holding. They were not supposed to be here. Here, as in the same place he was. The three should be out looking for bending masters for Aang.

Not here.

Tied up to a pole.

Being interrogated by the Kyoshi Warriors.

Kyoshi warriors that thought they were spies for the Fire Nation.

"You know these guys, Zuko?" Suki turned her attention to Zuko that was close to pouring hot tea over himself. "Put the kettle down."

"He knows us! We're frie-OW! Katara!" Sokka glared at his sister who was now giving Zuko a pleading stare.

Zuko could only shake his head at this point. The kettle got placed back down on the tray. He took a deep breath and looked at the female warriors. "The bald monk is the Avatar and the other two are Sokka and Katara. The ones I told you about. They live on the South Pole."

"He's the one that got his thumb stuck on a fishing hook?" Suki pointed at Sokka with her fan with an incredulous expression.

"He then tried using another hook to take the first one out and got the second one stuck too." Katara quickly explained the story. It earned her a glare from her brother and laughter from everyone else.

"I thought it was four hooks?"

"That's a whole other story, Zuko."

-.-

Zuko served tea to Aang and Katara. Sokka was lying on the ground moping about their capture. He looked out and saw the villagers had decided to honor the Avatar by cleaning the statue of Avatar Kyoshi. He had to give it to them. The statue was over three hundred years old and it still stood strong.

"Rumor has it that the Avatar is a master at evasive maneuvering." He kept pouring the tea like if he was simply discussing the weather.

"He lacks navigational skills. It's worked well enough."

"Oh, like you are any better, Sokka!"

The Avatar and the banished Prince got first row seats of yet another sibling squabble. The airbender turned his attention to Zuko and saw him looking out into the yard with a wistful expression. Outside there were children playing with sticks and a leather ball. "Have you thought over the possibility of teaching me firebending?"

"I'm still not teaching you. You are not ready."

"Ah!" Aang grinned at the older boy. "You do plan on teaching me."

Zuko rolled his eyes and placed the teapot on the table before heading out of the hut. "I am never going to teach you how to firebend. I'll become Fire Prince before that happens."

-.-

Sokka's jaw dropped at the sight. "Zuko? What are you doing here?"

The Kyoshi warriors were putting on make-up and tying up his hair. One was looking through the uniforms to find a one that fit.

"Training." He'd always been straight to the point. Sokka kept staring at him with a gob smacked expression. Maybe it was the hair? "Why are you here?"

"To train…"

-.-

He watched Suki and Sokka fight together with the Kyoshi Warriors. He had to remember to compliment Sokka later. He'd improved since the last time he had seen him fight. It was a well known fact in the Southern Water Tribe that Zuko had taught Sokka some hand to hand combat. The younger Water Tribe boy kept losing his weapon. This way he had a fighting change.

With that in mind Sokka did well, but he was nowhere near Suki'd level. She had gotten him on the ground. The question was if her would accept defeat. Sokka stretched his neck and saw Zuko patiently looking at him. The memory of all their lessons came to the forefront of his mind.

Sokka turned back to Suki and bowed. He told her it would be an honor to be trained by her if she would consider it. Zuko smiled. His friend had come far.

-.-

Zuko watched as the majority of the girls on the island chased after Aang. The lovers spat between Aang and Katara had resulted with Katara walking off. He rolled his eyes and went back to training a few of the warriors how to wield dual broadswords.

In return, they had gathered herbs specific for this region. It was a good trade. Just another day for Zuko and the Floating White Lotus.

"Zuko."

They all stopped training as Jee ran up to them. He motioned for the warriors to leave him and Jee.

"We spotted Zhao's men on the island. I had the men sail away to avoid suspicion. Your uncle is with them and I have a boat waiting for us." Zuko didn't react as Jee had expected. He was calm and looked around to see that both Aang and Katara were nowhere to be seen and Sokka was still being taught by Suki. "Get back to the ship. They won't recognize me right now."

The warrior paint hid the scar and the headband covered his ears. You wouldn't be able to tell it was Zuko in the armour unless you already knew.

"How would you get back to the ship?"

"Don't worry about it. I have to make the others leave before they get found by Zhao."

"Don't get caught. Otherwise, we'd have to deal with the consequences of your stupidity."

"Me? Doing something stupid? Don't make me la-"

Sometime later~

"That's ridiculous. Zuko does something stupid? Impossible." Jee watched Zuko get flung into the air by the unagi. At least some flames were extinguished. As for himself, well he didn't go back to the ship. He stayed behind and stayed hidden. Someone had to make sure the prince didn't get killed. "Who's laughing now? Not me. That's for sure."

Luckily the Avatar and his group left and the attackers followed. Jee took the opportunity to get rid of the fires the unagi had left behind. The main threat was gone.

Zuko groaned while he limped towards him. "I thought I told you to leave."

"And have your uncle kill me if anything had happened to you? No thanks."

-.-

"Are you sure it's okay to leave Zuko behind?" Sokka asked with his gaze on the island that was getting further and further away. "If he gets caught by the Fire Nation..."

"Zuko is stronger than he looks Sokka. Plus, they paid more attention to us, than him."

"Why do you think he left?" The young monk was curious and thought it was more to the story.

"All we know is that Zuko got disowned by his family and is not welcome back until he gets his 'honor' back." Sokka used air quotes. "I personally believe he didn't want to join the army and it got him banished. As for Iroh... Someone had to take care of the guy."

"Is that enough to get them arrested?"

"We don't know."

TBC

R/R.


	5. Gingko Biloba Tea

**_Ginkgo Biloba Tea_ **

_The benefits of drinking this tea includes, improved thinking, memory and social behavior. May alleviate anxiety and improve vision by keeping one’s eyesight for longer. Not for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or have thin blood. It will interact with other medications._

Zuko, Iroh, and Jee, all dressed in modest Earth Kingdom traveling clothing, that signified they were well off, but not enough to have anything to give them a second glance. They were talking to the guards that were posted at the front gate. The paperwork was in order and they were not bringing in anything that was against the laws.

The gates are opened for them and Zuko swore he heard a familiar voice. Resisting the urge to turn around as he was wearing a straw hat that had fabric wrapped around it to hide his more notable features…

Once they were given the okay to get through, they made their way in when he heard very familiar voices. He turned around in time to see Aang, who looked to be wearing a disguise out of Appa’s fur and calling Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis the Third. Zuko regretted turning around as he made eye contact with Sokka right before the gate closed breaking eye contact. 

Taking in a deep breath to ward of the rising anger that seemed to grow within him. It was like the universe and spirit world is out to get him. Why couldn’t he just go somewhere and not somehow feel like he can’t even take a single step there without running into the Avatar. 

WHO HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CHASE AFTER!

NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!!

Not the other way around…

At this point, Jee had to wrap his arm Zuko’s shoulders to make sure he did not stray away or bump into the wrong person. “What’s wrong, kid?”

“I just saw the avatar…” Zuko muttered under his breath.

Jee looked back, by now there were many people walking around that obscured the view all the way back of the front gate, he saw Sokka and Katara walking through the gate with a badly disguised…Avatar. Oh. “You have shitty luck. It seemed like the universe is telling you to _train the avatar_.”

“Tell me again, why you are here again?” Zuko questioned the Captain of his ship. “In another lifetime, you’d be dead by now.”

“You value me far too much to have me dead.” Jee jested. “That and you’d be dead without me out in sea.”

“….Touché.” 

-.-

“Of course, Zuko would love to ride down the chutes!” Iroh pushed Zuko towards Aang, Katara, and Sokka’s direction. Jee had taken the cases of tea related items from him before he also pushed the gob smacked former prince into the hands of the Avatar.

Iroh and Jee watched as Aang and Sokka carry away the ever sputtering Zuko to their misadventures. 

“He’s going to hate us for doing this to him.” Jee commented offhandedly, before he continue on with the much needing shopping. 

“Long as he gets it into his mind, that teaching the Avatar is possibly his destiny… that or the fact he needs friends his own age.” Iroh chuckled before he followed Jee back to the market. Maybe he’ll find a new Pai Sho board…

-.-

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” Zuko said under his breath, as he, Sokka, Katara, and Aang, had managed to get in one of the earth crate. How they managed to squeeze into said crate, he does not know, and he is debating if he should try to escape… again.

Oh, cruel irony…

“Here… we… GO!” Aang yelled out, using air bending to push the cart forward. Causing everyone to start screaming in either shock, laughter or whatever else. All Zuko knew was that, the moment that a package of spears started to follow them, he clung onto Sokka screaming at Aang to move faster.

-.-

“Did you meet up with your contact?” Jee asked Iroh, as they made their way through the market area into a quieter area of the market. Both of them were carrying many bags or had them strapped to their persons at this point. 

“I did, he made mention of a minor settlement in the western Earth Kingdom, near the Mo Ce Sea shoreline…”  Iroh hummed lowly, he pulled on his beard deep in thought. Thinking over what his friend had told him about the mining village. He would have to talk to his nephew… is that screaming he’s hearing.

Iroh and Jee looking around as the sound of screaming became louder and louder. They looked up into the sky to see… a crate that held the Avatar, two water tribesmen, and Zuko… that is soaring through the sky. The create landed right on top of a cabbage merchant’s cart.

“MY CABBAGES!!!!” 

Jee’s mouth went agape at the scene before him, especially when the four were quickly surrounded by guards and were promptly taken away. To be punished by the King of Omashu.  He and Iroh slowly walked away before running off before attention could be brought upon themselves. 

“What are we going to do?” Jee hissed out at Iroh, who is still making a double check nothing had fell during the run. 

“Nothing. We simply wait until they come out of there.” Iroh laughed easily, causing Jee to rub the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

“For all we know, Zuko could be sent to his death if we don’t do anything.” Jee continued to press. 

“The King won’t allow that to happen.”

-.-

‘I’m going to die today… It would be Uncle and Jee’s fault. Death via growing and glowing rock.’ Zuko thought to himself as he watched the ‘creeping crystal’ began to encase his finger. He looked over the balcony to see Aang staring at the waterfall, trying to figure out how to retrieve the key. ‘Air bending isn’t going to work along with diving right into it, the force of the water is too strong…’

Zuko attempted to ignore the ever growing feeling of the jennamite growing over his hand now. By the time Aang managed to retrieve the key, the jennamite managed to grow up his, Katara, and Sokka’s arms. When the second challenge was called out to begin, the crystal’s growth started to speed up to the point, it encased the three from their necks all the way to their knees, showing no sign of stopping any time soon.

Zuko took in another deep breath, quickly regretting his action as the jennamite grew in that exact moment, halting his movement. His breaths are now shorter, and he really started to feel claustrophobic. Oh, he’s going to give Uncle and Jee a piece of his mind once he gets out of this situation. He better get out of this alive, so that could very well happen.

When the second challenge started, Zuko really wondered about the King of Omashu, Mad Genius Bumi. Spirits, why would the king have Aang look for the king’s lost pet, Flopsie? Yeah, catching a rabbit, could be a hassle but… the rabbit isn’t Flopsie. 

Flopsie is the giant goat gorilla. 

Well, at least it was amusing to see Aang being chased around by the real Flopsie. A tamed, goat gorilla, now that’s a sight to see. Zuko watched as Aang ‘returned’ Flopsie back to Bumi before demanding for the final challenge to begin.

Zuko truly wondered if any of the challenges have any meaning to them. He, of course, have heard the rumors and did some investigating on the city, along with it’s king. None of them made sense, let alone the reason why King Bumi has Aang doing this challenges. So when the last challenge came to be, he, Katara, and Sokka were completely covered them except for portions of their faces and their feet. 

When Aang was told he had to pick an opponent to fight and picked Bumi to fight against, Zuko knew the twelve(one hundred and twelve) year old was screwed. Bumi is a master Earth Bender and Aang picked him to fight against. What did catch the fire bender’s attention was how the old King kept goading at Aang for him to fight. It reminded him one of the many time Sokka will try to get him fight against the water tribesmen. 

“Excuse me?” Zuko managed to call out, catching one of the guard’s attention. “How old… is the King?” 

“One hundred and twelve.” The guard responded, with an eyebrow raised. 

“Katara, what was the name of Aang’s old friend he mentioned earlier?” Zuko asked out. 

“Bumi? What does that hav-”

“BUMI?????”

The fight stopped as Aang stared at the old king, who in turn, began to laugh. 

“Well, it seems like the fire ferret is out of the bag. Right, Aang?” Bumi laughed at his friend’s gob smacked expression. 

Zuko and the others were quickly friend from their growing prison and were taken down to were Aang and King Bumi are having a touching reunion. 

“How did you know this will get him so stop?” Sokka loudly whispered to Zuko, pulled at his arm repeatedly. 

Zuko rolled his eyes and yanked his arm away from Sokka. “I didn’t. I just started to think why the old King of Omashu would be so interested in the Avatar. Who is just as old…? That and I’ve visited the city many times to know the King is known to be… eccentric.” 

“So this crazy king, is your old friend Bumi?” Katara asked once they made their way to Aang and Bumi.

“Who are you calling old!”

Pause.

“Okay, I’m old.” Bumi conceded. 

“Why did you do all of this, instead of telling Aang who you where?” Sokka asked, with an obvious raised eyebrow at Bumi.

“First of all, it’s pretty fun messing with people.” Bumi stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

The only one that seemed to agree to this is Zuko, who shrugged and nodded for Bumi’s reason. This earned him a glare from Katara and a snort from Sokka. 

“See, he get’s it.” Bumi snorted at Zuko’s attitude. He then turned his attention back at Aang. “Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the last hundred years, you’ve been gone. It’s the duty of the avatar to restore balance to the world…. By defeating Fire Lord Ozai.”

At the mention of his father, Zuko saw King Bumi a pointed look before paying attention back at Aang. Zuko felt his mouth go dry and his stomach had dropped massively at that small action. The only one that took note of his change of behavior was Sokka, but he waved him off before trying to regain his bearings once more. 

“-and it looks like your in good hands. You’ll need your friends to defeat the Fire Nation.” Bumi continued on to say, he smiled when Momo climbs on Aang. “And you’ll need Momo, too.” 

“Thank you for your wisdom, but before we leave, I have a challenge for you.” Aang said to Bumi, causing the others to look at him in dismay at the possibility of another challenge.

-.-

Zuko pulled on Iroh and Jee’s clothing, leading them out of the Market section of the city. He had just left the palace and just wanted to leave. All he knew was that King Bumi knew who he is and has yet to do anything about it. This had the warning bells to ring excessively in his mind that kept telling him to ditch the city and never return. Ever again.

“Why the hurry, Dear Nephew?” Iroh laughed, wondering why Zuko is in such a hurry.

“What happened in there, anyway, kid?” Jee asked, trying to get Zuko to talk.

“He knows about me.” Zuko finally said but did not stopped trying to get them to leave Omashu. “He _knows_ about me. I don’t want to be here any-”

Suddenly, right in front of them, Iroh and Jee felt like Deja vu happened again at the sight of another crate landing right on top of a cabbage stall which caused the seller to cry out. “My cabbages!!!”


	6. Chaga Tea

**_Chaga Tea_ **

_May promote cognitive function, stimulate immune response, and has potential anti-inflammatory. It interacts with other medications; it is advised to console a doctor consuming this tea. It may cause kidney stones._

Zuko really hated having to wear the Fire Nation uniform. It felt stiff and out of place for him. He really wanted his Floating White Lotus uniform back on, but that would have to wait. Apparently, while in Omashu, Uncle had gotten in contact with someone that mentioned about a small settlement near the Mo Ce Sea shoreline…

The settlement was overrun by Fire Nation soldiers, and they took in anyone that was discovered to be an earth bender. This proved a problem for Zuko, as instead of arriving at the settlement as Zuko, the ever-worrying nephew of the head Tea Maker. He arrived as the banished Fire Prince that demanded to know if they knew anything on the whereabouts of the Avatar.

As Zuko did his thing, two of his men disguised themselves as the locals to infiltrate the settlement. All the while hiding supplies in locations that could be found by the locals and no one would be none the wiser or connect it back to him. As the men did this, they caught wind of certain people had arrived at the settlement and one of which was a water tribe girl… who was an earth bender.

Whatever else was part of the story, has Zuko wondering the sanity of his friends at that point in time. Why would they do something as crazy as to get captured by the Fire Nation? Oh… because they befriended one of the locals… Of course they did…

Once leaving the settlement, Zuko debated with himself if he should go find his friends or just go on his way. It was not his problem; he could easily rationalize that it’s just some other random water tribe siblings and a kid with obviously identifiable air nomad tattoos…

“I can’t believe I’m saying this…” Zuko sighed out in defeat as he got onto his ship with the others following behind him. He looked up to see Iroh looking out into the distance of where he assumed to be their next destination. “To the blasted prison rig…”

“You do realize the risks of doing so, Prince Zuko?” Jee spoke up, voicing his concerns. “If you get caught helping them, you will be executed, your friends will now be fully convinced you really are the banished Fire Prince, or… you epically fail at trying to help them.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence, Captain Jee.” Zuko visibly rolled his eyes at the man, who had left everything behind to deal with a ‘bratty’ teen that was sent off on a complete mongoose lizard chase.

Whenever asked why he deals with the banished prince, Jee would always state that his loyalty is with the former General Iroh. Simply following someone he had followed for the longest of times. But Zuko knew, the main reason Jee is here with them, is that without the intervention of Zuko’s outburst that resulted in his banishment saved the man’s life. Jee was supposed to have gone on that last assignment but luckily, someone spread the word of what was expecting them and caused many to leave scatter. Luckily by then, the assignment was annexed before it even started.

Jee and several others that were supposed to be sent off on that suicide mission quickly joined Iroh who followed Zuko in his banishment. They owed the kid that much for speaking up for them. Through this time, Jee had been taken by Zuko and became a type of sec…thi… Ozai was never a father to him, Iroh had taken Zuko under his wing and whenever the teen can’t talk to the old man about something, he’d go to Jee. This resulted with Jee becoming an accomplice to many… many… misadventures. Many of which resulted with making sure Iroh doesn’t get into trouble or getting him out of trouble.

“Just… Let’s just get my friends out of trouble. Again.”

-.-

Zuko glared down at the warden that was sputtering out excuses onto the reason why _all_ the prisoners had escaped. He simply kicked the man back into the ocean before he went to investigate the now destroyed prison rig. Ignoring the cries of help from the rig and how Jee is now yelling at the man to grab hold of the rope, Zuko looked around hoping to find any clue on his friends.

What he did find is a very familiar necklace…

Zuko took hold of the torn necklace, with a blank look. Oh, this was the confirmation he needed that his friends were here. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he stuffed the torn necklace into his person before turning back towards the ship. By this point, the Warden is now out of the water once again and trying to regain his breathe. Zuko grabbed hold of the Warden’s collar and pulled him to his face level. “You mention to anyone about the Avatar, I will have you destroyed. Understood.”

Zuko didn’t need to have eyes in the back of his head to know Jee and Iroh were giving the Warden warning looks as well.  

“Ye-YES! Understood!”

“Good.” Zuko threw the man back into the water before boarding back into his ship. He needed a scalding hot bath and a change of clothes; he always did this after putting on the Fire Nation uniform and having to pretend to be someone who he once was. “Let’s go. We are done here.”

-.-

Zuko groaned into his hands, wondering why the universe is out to get him. This was not supposed to happen. He should not be making friends with people outside of the Fire Nation. He should not be helping the Earth and Water nations to the best of his abilities. There are so many other things he should not be doing and the main one… making friends with the Avatar.

The only thing he wanted to do, is to just serve tea with his Uncle and help others. Just to stay out of the war and nothing else. Zuko just wants to get away from it all. However… on the opposite of the coin, he knew he had to do something. He just cannot do nothing. Which was why he is helping everyone in the best of his abilities. Getting supplies for warriors that are going up against the Fire Nation, to those that are suffering of the war and offering a much-needed hot cup of tea. Then… there was that other thing too.

The whole… _network_ Zuko had unknowingly created through his travels. Oh the network… an ever-growing group of followers that want to see the head of _Fire Lord_ Ozai on a stick.

TBC.

R/R.


	7. Wild Cherry Bark Tea

**_Wild Cheery Bark Tea_**

_ It is used to treat colds and suppress coughs. It could be used for bronchitis, diarrhea, fever, gout, sore throat, and whooping cough. Alleviating pain and stimulate the digestive system, sometimes could be used to promote hair growth and to condition it. It is advised to not take cherry bark supplements excessively.  _

Zuko kept to himself, head and face covered as he gathered up herbs for the Floating White Lotus. It was something he did whenever he has the opportunity or needed to visit a certain location which only had said grew in said location. It’s something that soothed his mind, simply picking herbs, flowers, mushrooms, and other things that catches his attention. 

Basket full, Zuko headed out to locate Uncle Iroh so that they could head back the ship. Walking through the forest, he couldn’t help but feel something bad is happened. This caused Zuko to speed up to the last place he had seen Uncle. By the time, he got to the last place he saw the man, Zuko knew… Uncle went on another misadventure…

WITHOUT PERMISSION! 

The pool of water where Iroh was using as a makeshift hot spring, had several landslide-like formations. It appeared that the someone, Iroh, dragged their feet to leave behind an impression of where he was taken. “Great… earth benders.”

Zuko turned around and placed the basket on a high branch before he followed the trail. Grumbling all the way under his breath, how Iroh needed to get out of trouble and not cause his hair to turn gray due to the stress the man puts him through on a daily basis.

-.-

Aang was in complete awe as he was taken on a ride by Avatar Roku’s dragon, Fang. From what he had gathered, he needed to talk to the previous Avatar about something that severely required his attention. As Fang flew over a meadow as they headed towards their destination. Looking down below, he saw the familiar figure that could only be described as an annoyed Zuko.

Aang didn’t know whether or not Zuko could hear him, he called out to him. “Hi Zuko!!!”

Down below, Zuko paused. He looked around before decidedly to look up to see… Is that Aang… on a dra… is that Fang. Aang is waving at him and Zuko slowly waved back, not knowing what to do or say at that moment. Once Aang and Fang were out of sight, Zuko turned around and walked away in a complete daze. 

Zuko thanked the spirits he wasn’t being pulled in for another misadventure this time around. He really needed to look for Uncle and get back to the ship. One trip to the Spirit world is far too much for him and resulted with meeting his great-gra- is that Uncle’s sandal? Sure smells like it.

-.-

“Could you please put on some clothes, now?” Zuko nearly whined at the sight of his half-dressed uncle. The only response he got, is a bodacious laugh that has the teen cringe. “There, there, Zuko. I put my clothes back on.”

“Good, let’s get out of h-” Zuko began to say but was cut off by Iroh.

“Did you see Fang? He was flying about earlier with Avatar Aang.” Iroh hummed, nudging Zuko with his elbow. Zuko resisted the urge to twitch uncontrollably. Of course Uncle saw the Aang and Fang soaring through the skies earlier. The way Iroh he said it made Zuko wonder what the man is thinking in that mind of his. 

That familiar sparkle in Iroh’s eyes made Zuko’s fight or flight response to go haywire. 

Zuko’s entire posture stiffened massively. “I did, he waved at me.” 

“Hm…” Iroh hummed deeply, deep in thought.

“Whatever you are thinking… drop it. Please… There’s so much I could take without losing my mind.”

-.-

By the time they made it to the boat, Zuko immediately went off to his room. He needed to meditate on what he saw earlier, seeing the spirit form of Aang and Fang…

Fang.

This brought back the memory of when Uncle Iroh once taught Zuko about the Spirit World. Of course, Zuko believed everything that came along with that world. So when the man told him, that he had visited the Spirit World a more than a handful of times… caused Zuko to wonder how many more secrets Uncle has in the back of his mind. Far as he knew, the only people that were able to go to the Spirit World is the Avatar. 

The Spirit World… It was something at that time, Zuko really wanted to go… right up until it happened. When it happened, it caused him to question everything he never knew about his family… and psyche. Mainly his psyche. 

_ Flashback~ _

_ Zuko didn’t understand what was happening to him, he felt feverish  and has been hallucinating nonstop. Why did this have to happen right after his banishment as he was still healing from the burn on his face. Everything hurt and he swore, each time he attempted to do the breathing techniques Uncle had taught him… and before he knew it, Zuko no longer felt feverish.  _

_ Zuko slowly opened his eyes and couldn’t help but feel lighter. He sat up with an audible groan and stretched out his arms in front of him. When he opened his eyes, the teen let out a scream at the sight of his very transparent arms. He looked back down at the pillows to see his… **body!!!!** _

_ There was a soft growl like purr that caused Zuko to pause, he slowly turned around and looked up to see a dragon. Why is there a dragon in his ro-Zuko let out a scream when the dragon reached down and used its mouth to grab hold of him. It then flung Zuko over on it’s back before it became to fly off with Zuko cleaning onto the creature for dear life. They soared through the skies and before Zuko knew it… they were somewhere Zuko had never seen before. It could be described magical, mysterious, and… terrifying.  _

_ Zuko screamed out for the dragon to take him back or to at least land somewhere. Anywhere at that point. He shut his eye shut when they flew the cloudy skies out of instinct. Sensing the dragon diving, Zuko opened his eye and realized they were now in a massive meadow and there stood an unknown figure…  _

_ End of Flashback~ _

Zuko did not tell Uncle what had happened to him that day, even though the old man has his massive suspicions. The only person he did tell that he had met in the Spirit World, was Jee. The man simply blinked, looked away with a curse before the patted the then thirteen-year-old on the head stating that if he ever wanted to talk, he’s there for the kid. 

Yeah… Zuko still does not understand what happened that night. It also did not help how his feverish hallucinations grew worse once he went back into his body after that visit. Plus, meeting your great-grandfather who knew his other great-grandfather who started a massive genocide of an entire nation causes one to double think a lot of life choices. 

Arriving at his room, Zuko sat on top of a mat that was in the corner of his room. He sat on the mat and began to meditate. When he opened his eyes, he was met with that familiar figure sitting across of him. “Grandfather Roku, how’s Fang?”

“I need you to help your friends, Zuko.” Roku stated.

“Yes, hello Zuko. How are you, Zuko? I’m doing quite alright, thank you. How’s life, Zuko? I don’t know, I’m being accused of following my friends.” Zuko huffed out, he ignored the pointe look of his great-grandfather’s spirit was giving him. “What? I just want to become a simple tea maker or herbalist, maybe both. I haven’t decided yet.”

“Zuko…” 

“I know, I know. You need to help your friends, as they are the ones that keep me grounded and help me keep my sanity. Even though they make me question it all the time.” Zuko only continued, Roku simply sat there and listened to the teen’s rant. He knew it was bound to happen, it was a matter of time. Better now than a middle of a fight. “And today! I saw Fang flying off with Aang! Did you have anything to do with that?”

“Go to the Five Sages Capital Temple, your friends will require your assistance.” Roku said before disappearing once again.

“….why do I ever bother any more…” 

TBC. 

  



	8. Chapter 8

**_D/C: I own nothing._ **

**_Warning: Might get a bit angsty towards the ending._ **

Shout-out to ProudGeek4Ever! Thank you so much for beta reading the Floating White Lotus!

* * *

**_Golden Ginger Fire Tea_ **

_Is a blend of fresh ginger, lemon, honey and a handful of spices. It has a wide variety of health benefits._

**_-Ginger:_ ** _Nausea, anti-inflammatory, fighting infections and relieving gastrointestinal discomfort._

 **_-Turmeric:_ ** _(Check page 15.)_

 **_-Cayenne:_ ** _Boost a body's metabolism, reduce hunger, and may aid with chronic pain._

 **_-Cinnamon:_ ** _(Check page 16.)_

_- **Honey:** Rich in antioxidants, powerful cough suppressant and benefits the health of one's heart. (Natural sweetener. Very good.)_

**_-Lemon:_ ** _Prevents scurvy. Weight loss, makes the skin look good, freshen one's breath…(Reminder to pack up more of them to prevent the men from getting scurvy. Lemon water is good… especially for hiding Uncle's medicine.)_

Jee handed Iroh a steaming cup of tea. "Worried?"

They stood at the edge of the boat and looked out at the sea. It was the same direction they had seen Zuko sail to get to the Fire Temple. It was by far one of the stupidest things Zuko had ever done in his life. He had done loads of idiotic things, but this easily made its way the top five, or well, possibly top three at this point.

"Of course, I'm worried. I'm always worried." Iroh answered. The horizon began to shift colors signaling that morning was quickly approaching. As much as he did to support his nephew, this had to be one of the times they didn't agree about a course of action. Sneaking into Fire Nation waters. He was going to get himself killed.

Iroh turned around to head back into the ship. He needed meditate.

Jee watched the man walk away. The last time he had seen Iroh in such a state was at the announcement of the late Fire Prince's death. That day had been a complete disaster. Many assumed that it was general Iroh that called for the retreat, but it had really been a colonel with high enough ranking that ordered everyone to pull back. Jee and several others, most now working on the Floating White Lotus, had to carry away the devastated general.

No one knew the full extent of what happened that day. It took some time for Iroh to regain his bearings. The first thing he did was ensure none of his men would be taken at fault for what had occured. They knew he still grieved his lost son, but got back on his feet to care for the people that needed him.

Jee shook away the memories of the trying times. Iroh had never been the same after that. The only time he became somewhat himself again was when Zuko was around.

-.-

Zuko knew that what he was going to do was completely and utterly stupid. It could very well lead to his death. Sneaking back into the Fire Nation to get to the Fire Temple was not something he ever thought he'd do. But here he was in a small, inconspicuous boat headed for the temple in the dead of night. His friends would still be at the village. They were probably resting for the journey they'd make in the morning.

The reason for his midnight boat trip was simple. He had to get to the temple before the others without anyone raising the alarm. There could be some sages that still followed the old ways. Luckily he knew there was at least one, but the rest were unknown at the moment.

He was thankful for his disguise.

-.-

Shyu lead the avatar and his friends through the caverns of the Fire Temple. The sage made sure they didn't cross paths with any of the others. "Avatar Roku once called this tempt his home. He formed secret passages out of the magma."

Aang's hand trailed against the walls and he was deep in thought. "Did you know Avatar Roku?"

"No." Shyu shook his head. "But my grandfather knew him. Many generations of Fire Sages guarded this Fire Temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."

"Is that how you knew I was coming?"

Shyu paused. Then he pulled out a scroll from his clothes and went to hand it over to Aang, but Sokka grabbed it first.

"This is Zuko's scroll!" Sokka loudly exclaimed causing Katara to smack the back of his head reminding him to keep quiet. He ignored her in favor of reading the scroll.

"That came last night. A few weeks ago an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Roku," Shyu paused for added effect. "It's eyes began to glow!"

"That's around the time we were at the Air Temple." Katara thought back to a similar event. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there too."

Shyu then turned around to face Aang with a knowing smile. "At that moment we knew you had returned to the world."

Confusion was the only emotion Aang felt at that moment. "If this is the Avatar's temple why did the sages attack me?"

Shyu took a deep breath and his shoulders dropped as he answered. "Things have changed. In the past the sages were loyal only to the avatar. When Roku died they waited eagerly for the next avatar to return, but he never came."

Guilt washed over Aang. "They were waiting for me."

Sokka hadn't said much because his attention had been on the content of the scroll. He rolled it back up and hid it in his shirt. What he read made him rethink a lot of things about his friend. But now he had to focus on the situation at hand. "Don't feel bad. You're only hundred years late."

Everyone scowled, but Sokka paid no mind to it.

-.-

He hated Zuko.

Hate wasn't even the right word to describe it.

Zhao hated Zuko with passion. He didn't remember what brought on the hate, but it had taken a foul turn for the worse since Zuko bested him during the Agni Kai. It didn't matter how much he goaded Prince Zuko. The banished prince just simply shrugged it off or general Iroh would calm his nephew down before he could get a good reason to take him out.

It was becoming increasingly infuriating as it became a race to capturing the avatar.

Zhao grinned maliciously at the thought of finally one-upping the disgraced royal. He yelled at the sages to hurry up with opening door to the sanctuary. They did open it. And a lemur covered in soot stared bark at them.

"It's the Avatar's Lemur. He must have crawled through the pipes!" The Fire Sages weren't happy at all for being duped.

Momo sprang into action. He leapt at a Fire Sage's head and grabbed the hat effectively blinding him. Katara charged from her hiding spot and pulled another sage's tunic over his head. Sokka went for a different approach and grabbed hold of a Fire Sage's lower skirt. He then pulled it over the man's body and covered his face with it

Sokka could her his sister crying out for Aang to go, but she didn't get any answer. He caught sight of Zhao holding Aang in a firm grip and he felt his heart drop. They had not planned for this. It was one thing dealing with the Fire Sages, but Zhao was different. The guy had relentlessly been hunting them down. And now he had the avatar. "No..."

Bonk!

Zhao's grasp on Aang loosened before he dropped forward in a dead faint. He was knocked out. Everyone that still had the ability to see saw a figure dressed in black. The person was carrying dual broadswords and had a blue mask that covered their face. Momentarily everyone stopped fighting to stare incredulously at the newcomer. Nobody had expected another wild card in this fight.

The masked person motioned for Aang to enter the sanctuary. Aang heard the sound of Fire Nation soldiers heading towards them. Many were calling out for their commander. One of the sages shouted out for them, but was swiftly knocked unconscious by Sokka. Too bad it was already too late. They could all hear the footsteps quicken. Aang attempted to get to the door, but a newly awake Zhao grabbed his ankle from his place on the ground.

The masked figure hit Zhao once more. Then he grabbed Aang and chucked him into the room. The door shut tight and a blinding light made them all turn away their eyes. By then the Fire Nation soldiers had arrived and they attacked.

-.-

"Listen carefully. We don't have much time." Roku stood face to face with Aang as he warned him about the near future. "Sozin's Comet will return by the end of summer and Fire Lord Ozai will use it's power to finish the war once and for all. If he succeeds even the avatar won't be able to restore the balance of the world. Aang, you must defeat the Fire Lord before the comet arrives.

"I haven't even started learning any element other than air! I don't have anyone to teach me water- or earthbending and Zuko only agreed to teach me firebending if I learnt those two first."

"It takes years of discipline and practice to master the elements. But if the world is to survive you must do it by summer's end."

-.-

"Thank you for helping us," Sokka thanked the masked figure when opportunity came. The figure was currently helping them fight against Zhao's men. Shyu had called the figure the Blue Spirit because of something with the mask. That was unfortunately after Sokka tried giving him an... odd nickname. The fight was coming to a stalemate, but it was preferable to being captured. "So, you're the silent type then?"

Oh, the comebacks he could give. Too bad he would rather not spill his identity. The last thing he needed right now was for someone to recognise him and inform his father of what he'd been up to. It was too soon in for that to happen.

"Just how many are there?" Katara yelled as the never ending horde of soldiers kept coming at them. It got to the point where they were forced to work defence. Sokka and Katara had to take cover behind the pillars while Shyu and the Blue Spirit did their best to protect them.

The door began glow again and smoke came out from under it. It caught everyone's attention. The door unlocked by itself and as it opened a blinding light forced everyone to close their eyes.

Then Zhao started to wake up. He groaned in pain and winced at the light that had only dimmed a bit. His eyes widen when he saw a pair of glowing, white eyes in the darkness of the, now open, sanctuary. Without much thought he ordered his men to attack the young avatar. A wall of fire surrounded the avatar. It revealed none other than Avatar Roku. His eyes were glowing and showed his fury as he picked his target, Zhao.

Zhao was completely horror stricken. He scrambled up from the floor, but one of his men had to help him stay standing.

The Blue Spirit cursed under his breath when he saw the deceased Avatar. That looked just like his maternal great grandfather. His great grandfather had been the Avatar.

-.-

Zuko took off his mask once he made it back to the ship. He didn't bother answering any questions about why he brought back a Fire Sage or why he was upset. It reminded the crew of how he used to be a few years ago. Iroh attempted to follow his nephew, but was turned away. This prompted him to send Jee to talk with the former fire prince.

Jee found Zuko in a storage room where he could hear him cursing up a storm. He came closer and saw Zuko throwing around empty crates with eyes that were red with unshed tears. It went up for him why the prince didn't want to talk to his uncle.

It would ruin Zuko if the man he looked up to as a father figure saw him like this. Jee was someone that the teenager could confide in when he couldn't with Iroh. "Zuko."

What am I supposed to do? " Zuko paced back and forth. "Am I supposed to help the Avatar? Am I supposed to capture the Avatar? What is it I'm supposed to do?"

It wasn't difficult to put two plus two together. The spirit of his maternal great grandfather, the one that once guided him, was the Avatar. The same one his paternal great grandfather had killed to start the war. Both individuals had left behind very contrasting legacies.

One of which his father had put him on the path for and thought he was following while the other matched better with his action despite his reservations for picking a side.

Zuko put his head in his hand as he thought over his destiny. He did not want his ancestors to decide his future and that was what he told Jee. The man patted Zuko's back as the teen sank down to the floor and told him about everything that had happened.

"Follow your own path and make your own destiny. Spirits, if it weren't for you intervening in mine I would be dead by now." Jee didn't let the glare aimed at him stop him. "Do you want to follow Sozin, Azulon and Ozai's legacy of death-"

"No, I don't." Zuko's knuckles were turning white, but his words were resolute.

"What about the Avatar?"

"I can't… I'm… I'm not…" Zuko's breathing were heavy and Jee waited until he had regained his breathing patterns. "I don't know what to do."

"That's okay. Just do what you have been doing. Forge your own path."

Zuko looked Jee in the eyes with a desperate expression on his face. "I created a spy network of people that want my father's head on a stick. I have been getting supplies to soldiers that are going up against the bastard. I've helped everyone I've crossed paths with including the Avatar who I am supposed to capture. My father is a terrible man, but he's still family. Where am I supposed to draw the line?"

Jee sighed and sat down on the floor.

Zuko was staring into the floor. "Should I teach Aang firebending?"

"Do you want my honest opinion?"

"That's why I asked."

"No. Not only is the squirt not ready to be taught firebending, but you are not ready to teach him. You are not in the right state of mind to do it." Jee gave a slight pause. "Before today you had a general idea of where your life was headed. You don't know anymore. You need to cut this destiny crap. Carve your own destiny and make it your own."

"What if my destiny is to help the Avatar? What then?"

Jee gave a minuscule smile and slowly shook his head. "You have already decided to help the kid. What you didn't decide is when. Until then you focus on yourself. Relax, take a break and enjoy life for a bit."

"I tried that." Zuko deadpanned. "It came to an abrupt end when the Avatar came back into existence."

TBC


	9. Plum Tea

**_D/C: I Own Nothing._ **

Shout-out to ProudGeek4Ever! Thank you so much for beta reading the Floating White Lotus!

* * *

**_Plum Tea_ **

_It is used to maintain healthy bones. Could help with restoring lost bone density and protecting the body against age-related impairments. The coppar in plums are essential for nerve health and also acts as an antioxidant. Helpful for anemia-like blood-related diseases. (Gran-Gran loves plum tea. Jee hates it.)_

Sokka resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the young monk. "You mastered airbending and that only took you a hundred and twelve years. I'm sure you can master three more elements by next summer." Aang had been pacing in Appa's saddle for what seemed like forever while going on about how he needed to learn the rest of the elements. The deadline didn't help. "I'm sure Katara could teach you some waterbending."

Katara nodded and reached over to put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. We'll work it out."

Aang sighed and sat down.

"Sokka has a point. I can probably teach you the stuff I know." Katara tried her best to cheer him up.

"You'd do that?"

Sokka ignored them from then on and pulled out the scroll he took from Shyu. The content had him wondering about Zuko's past. The older teen had to know certain information to get in contact with the only Fire Sage who still was an ally of the Avatar. Zuko sometimes gave backhanded facts about himself. Now Sokka was asking himself just how many of those were true.

Fact One: Zuko is from the Fire Nation. That much had to be true since the guy was a firebender.

Fact Two: Zuko came from a high standing family with connections. How else would he know as much as he did? He'd probably had tutors.

Fact Three: He knew Fire Nation tactics and strategies. Sokka could easily recall all the things Zuko had taught him. How to fight and avoid the Fire Nation had been one of the first lessons they'd had.

Fact Four: Zuko didn't like the royal family. He'd never said it out loud, but it was obvious if one focused on the little things. Comments made in passing by and gestures he thought no one saw at the mention of the royal family.

The fourth fact was the one that boggled him and he didn't know why. It wasn't unusual to dislike the royalties of the Fire Nation. Most of the members of their tribe didn't like them either. Zuko was different though. It felt personal and he just didn't understand. It wasn't just Zuko. The rest of the ship's crew obviously shared the same kind of views.

Iroh would always look at Zuko's face when the topic came up. Well, more like his scar.

It didn't make sense. It wasn't like the Fire Lord personally burned him.

Katara waved a hand in front of his face and brought him out of his thoughts. "We need to find a good water source."

-.-

Zuko didn't know if he should be annoyed or resigned at his uncle's antics at this point in his life. The man had changed their course completely because of a missing lotus tile. That's why they were currently at a random port. Of course, his uncle needed to find a new lotus tile. It was always about the lotus tile. They really should just get several of them to prevent this from happening again.

At least they could pick up some supplies.

Zuko heaved up the giant wicker basket. They had ended up finding more than a few good bargains. It thankfully kept his mind occupied by other things than idiotic pai sho tiles.

Well, it did until an overly familiar voice called his name. It was impossible. The universe couldn't hate him that much. Zuko did his best to ignore it all. He wanted to get back to his shopping and ge out of here. He definitely didn't need to get dragged into whatever mess they'd gotten themselves into this time. He was not prepared to deal with this today.

Zuko hummed happily as he caught sight of a stunning tea set. He had been meaning to get a new one. He did his best to forget the fact that his friends were being chased around by a band of pirates in the corner of his eye. It was not his problem.

It was getting increasingly difficult to convince himself of that.

"Are you not going to help your friends?"

Zuko took a deep breath before facing Iroh and Jee. They were both giving him identical stares. "No, I am no-"

-.-

"- _are you not going to help your friends?_ " Zuko cursed under his breath. The Iguana Parrot had been following him so he hid behind a tree shake it off his trail. Against his better judgement, he went after his friends to figure out why they were being chased by pirates. At least it wasn't Zhao. That was the last thing he needed right now.

When Zuko finally lost the pesky creature he could continue on his way through the forest. He suspected the Gaang as Sokka named them had gone for a water source. So there he was looking for large bodies of water. Luckily he had a map and a general idea of where to go.

He kept going further into the forest and cursed his inability to stay out of his friends' business. He would much have preferred to run off and forget, but his stupid moral code wouldn't allow it. His friends needed him to get them out of trouble. Again.

The sound of running water brought Zuko relief. When he got closer to the water he heard curing that made him pause. He recognized those curses. A short distance from him Katara was hopelessly trying to waterbend.

-.-

"Hey, Sokka! Sokka... Sokka..." Aang poked Sokka in a desperate move to gain his attention. "Sokka."

Sokka opened his eyes slowly. A grimace overtook his face as he felt the poking. Aang still didn't stop. "What?"

Pause.

Aang bashfully looked away from him which caused him to sit up. The airbender scooted away. Katara was nowhere to be seen. Of course... Sokka wouldn't be surprised if she had gone off somewhere to practice those waterbending moves in the scroll she'd stolen from the pirates. "It's night, Aang. That's when people sleep."

"I can't sleep." He moved so that he was sitting next to Sokka.

Sokka grumbled. "Of course you can't." He let out a yawn and plopped down on his back to look up at the starry sky. He motioned for Aang to do the same. "Still wondering about Zuko?"

Aang let the question sink in before answering. Zuko was the reason he couldn't sleep. He had to get Zuko to teach him firebending, but how? Especially now when Roku had given such a warning. He needed to master all elements before the end of summer and he was nowhere near ready...

Sokka finally interrupted Aang's worries. "Zuko hates using his firebending. He once mentioned that his sister was better and even went as far as to call her a prodigy. Apparently, his father favored her and didn't bother hiding it."

"What about-" Aang covered the left side of his face with his hand.

"Not my story to tell." Sokka shrugged. "Zuko may be a firebender, but it's clear that he understands the destruction it brings along. You should have seen how the tribe reacted when we saw him bend that first time to save Gran-Gran. It's hard to say who was most terrified, us or him."

Silence fell before them once more.

"We may be in a hurry, but give it some time." Sokka turned his head to look at the younger boy. "If worst comes to shove we'll just kidnap him. I talked with Iroh and agreed with the plan."

"HE AGREED TO WHAT!"

-.-

Zuko wanted more than anything to get away from Katara's never-ending question or more accurately demands answers about his reservations of teaching Aang firebending. He did everything he could think of to avoid answering. At last, he had enough and went to Sokka.

Sokka understood why he was holding back some information and didn't want to open up old wounds.

"Why can't you help train Aang?" Katara asked for the second time in less than five minutes. They were standing at a river and she was unintentionally waterbending. Her emotions were quite clearly out of control.

"Look." Zuko ran his fingers through his hair as he considered his next words. "I can't do it, but you could try to find my old master. If he believes Aang is ready to learn then I'll teach him. Otherwise, I won't until I'm sure he's ready."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Zuko agreed and reached over to pluck the scroll from Katara's hands. She yelled out but stopped when he shot her a glare. "You are not only risking your life for a scroll, but also your brother's and Aang's."

Katara huffed and crossed her arms. "I never had anyone to teach me how to bend properly and Aang needs to start learning."

"There you are!"

Katara and Zuko turned to see the pirates coming towards them. Katara prepared to go on the offense.

"How much?" Zuko held up the infamous scroll.

"What make you th-" One of the pirates started to say but was cut off when the Captain smacked him to shut up.

"300 gold pieces." The captain gave him a devious smirk.

"It was 200 gold pieces!" Katara spluttered.

"350." The smirk only seemed to grow.

Everyone watched as Zuko bartered for both the scroll and the freedom of the Gaang. She had to give it to Zuko. He had skills. He and the captain kept trying to outdo each other.

"150! That is my final offer!"

"Make it 200 and you'll leave my friends alone."

"DEAL!"

-.-

"This is mine now. Mine. I am going- didn't you learn anything? Don't steal!"

TBC.

It came to a massive writer's block with this chapter. My dog decided it would be a good idea to chew up my usb and well... My mind wasn't working at that time as I mourned all my works... Yeah. R/R.


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